Sunday, September 20, 2009

Out Spotlight XCVIII

Today's Out Spotlight is the organization Helem. Helem, was created for the liberation and protection of the LGBT community in Lebanon. It is the first organization in the Arab world to set up a gay and lesbian community center, and their work has consistently broken new ground in a country that criminalizes homosexuality and where violence and abuse are persistent problems. Helem (the Arabic acronym of "Lebanese Protection for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders"), is a non-governmental non-profit organization who presented its notification of association to the Lebanese Ministry of Interior on 4 September 2004, while homosexuality is still illegal in Lebanon.

While homosexuality remains a crime in Lebanon, the country is unusual among Arab-majority nations in that it has a small internal gay rights movement and an organization like Helem. The enforcement of the law in Lebanon is varied and often occurs through occasional police harassment and arrests. Aside from the criminal law, gay Lebanese civilians have been charged with violating censorship laws regulating free speech and free press. In 2000, the webmaster of gaylebanon.com faced military charges for maintaining a website for gay and lesbian Lebanese. To have Helem out in the public and fighting to all sorts of legal, social and cultural discrimination that occur against the Lebanese LGTB community amongst this shows the commitment and dedication of the group and its mission .

While it's major focus is on gay and lesbian issues, Helem is open to anyone who shares our values based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is also strongly opposed to any kind of segregation, both in the services it offers or in the struggle it leads.

Helem's primary goal is "the annulment of article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code which punishes 'unnatural sexual intercourse'". The law is primarily used to target the LGBT community by violating the privacy of its members and by denying them basic human rights. "The abolishment of this law will help reduce state and societal persecution and pave the way to achieving equality for the LGBT community in Lebanon." Helem's other main objective is "to counter the AIDS epidemic and other sexually transmitted diseases while advocating for the rights of patients."

You can break the major goals break down this way : Health, Awareness, Advocacy

In Helem's health initiatives, we adopt a rights-based approach that recognizes the particularities of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and sexual health relative to the LGBT community.

In order to break the silence surrounding sexuality in general and homosexuality in particular, Helem has consistently promoted the idea that knowledge is the key to openness, tolerance and acceptance. They aim to counter the lack of information (particularly in Arabic) and the pervasive misinformation about homosexuality by providing objective, factual information, initiating dialogue, and refuting common misconceptions about homosexuality.

One of Helem’s main long-term goals is the annulment of the outdated and unjust law, that call homosexuality an "unatural sexual intercourse" and that it is punishable by law. To this end, Helem lobbies with other human rights organizations on the national, regional, and international levels for the decriminalization of homosexuality and the advancement of human rights and personal freedoms in Lebanon.

This past week to raise awareness, Helem and SIDC, (Lebanese AIDS awareness organization) in collaboration with International Alliance Against AIDS, launched the guide "Ohibbohom Walaken" ("I love them, but…"). The guide addresses the parents of gay and lesbian individuals and provides information and facts about sexuality and homosexuality, in addition to signifying better practices to deal with their sons/daughters' sexuality.

The launch was attended by a number of associations and organizations working in the social, health, youth fields as well as psychology and social work experts, with the presence of parents of gay and lesbian people who showed interest and support, in addition to UN representatives and Lebanese ministries. It included discussions about homosexuality in terms of reality and challenges, as well as the information about the guide’s production, content and how to use it, along with the planning of a future strategy for LGBT dialogs and discussions.

In January of this year, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) awarded its 2009 Felipa de Souza Award to Helem. The Felipa Award recognizes the courage and effectiveness of groups or leaders dedicated to improving the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI) and other individuals stigmatized and abused because of their sexuality or HIV status.

Helem also done outside of it geographical borders, with international branches branches in Montreal and Paris.

Helem official site

30 comments:

destiny said...

Another great Spotlight. And I love the music today.

sass said...

Morning everyone,
The music is great today. Thanks for all the good health wishes with my last visit. I need them. I'm enjoying life today in sunny beautiful no humidity NYC. I may take a bus down to the Strand.
I meant to get back and tell you all how much I adored seeing Austin on screen. The shirt off walking into the surf scene, I'm sure killed any remaining cancer cells in my body; I'm know I screamed them all away.
Thanks again for the Austin 411.
sass

Florida Tom said...

Hi Sass. Have a great walk. Glad you are feeling well.

Music Luvah said...

Wow, hooray!!! Love the pictures and song as well. :)

passingby said...

Sophia Bush & Austin Nichols were in Austin,TX together at the end of June. I know a person who saw them at the "The County Seat" in Georgetown, TX, JJ Usher was playing that night.

lol said...

Passingby,

you know everything and everybody!

PoP said...

IHJ - New PoP pics, official website screen captures

passing by said...

I did not say that, I said that I know someone who saw them..

Don't shoot the messenger.

I do not know everthing nor do I know everybody and I have never claimed to either.

testy... LOL..

passing by said...

I did not say that, I said that I know someone who saw them..

Don't shoot the messenger.

I do not know everthing nor do I know everybody and I have never claimed to either.

testy... LOL..

passingby said...

sorry about double post

yeah, right said...

Funny, neither the people in Austin, TX nor The County Seat themselves seem to remember that JJ Usher ever played at that venue...

yeah, right said...

sorry, meant people in Texas, not just people in Austin, TX.

Anonymous said...

How about you check this link, scroll down to July 26th

"Sat, June 27, 2009; 8:00 pm; The County Seat; 119 W 7th St Georgetown TX (MAP) ... 78728 United States (MAP); We go on at 9:00 followed by JJ Usher. ...

passingby

hmm said...

^^^ That is not a link.

yeah, right said...

^^^ That is not a link.

And passerby won't post the link she got it from either, because she copied from two different dates and then deleted some crucial information:

# Sat, June 27, 2009
# 8:00 pm
# The County Seat
# 119 W 7th St Georgetown TX (MAP)


and

* Fri, April 4, 2008
* 9:00 pm
* Merkaba Lounge and Grill
* 14106 N IH-35, Ste A Austin TX, 78728 United States (MAP)
* We go on at 9:00 followed by JJ Usher.


You think we're all stupid or just computer illiterate?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
oops said...

I love it when idiots makes fools of themselves. Good pick up yeah, right.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
oops again said...

^^ sorry about the anon. Just call me passinging by !! Stopped in to tell passing by to stop passing gas. He/she is stinking up the place.

Florida Tom said...

For anybody who is interested and watching the Emmys tonight wanted to let you know that all the good stuff comes in the first one of the show.

Go NPH
Go Ian McClellen
Go Siguorny Weaver
Go Prayers for Bobby

Special K said...

Jets beat the Pats - Dest - I dished it, so I deserve to take my medicine. : ) But the Sox won and getting close to securing the Wildcard for the playoffs.

Great catch, Yeah Right.

21st Coffee tweeted that Jake was in this morning getting a coffee. From the snark comment about themselves namedropping makes its sound like the real deal.

Tweet

Like the new PoP pictures from the new official website.

Will be watching Emmy's tonight, can't wait.

Florida Tom said...

0 for 4 tonight. Gotta wonder friends. Especially Neil. He was a heavy favorite. Oh well!!!!

Florida Tom said...

I think Neil had quite a surprised in store for America if he had won. Normally when a host is nominated for an award he or she goes back stage to wait. Neil went back into the audience and sat to to Michael his partner. I got a feeling they were gonna smooch right on nationl TV if Neil had won. It would have been so awesome.

Neil was wearing a wedding band just like the ones Jake and Austin are not allowed to wear around their necks anymore. It is so obvious that after such talk on OMG and WFT2 about the bands that suddenly they dissappeared. That tells me a lot.

michael who? said...

David Burtka is Neil's partner

destiny said...

The Jets are awesome this year!

Not surprised NPH didn't win an Emmy, it's just not the kind of show that gets that kind of buzz, but I am kind of shocked at who did win. Oh well, the Emmy's have always marched to a completely different drummer when it comes to handing out awards. Some people never win, others win for years on end.

I thought it was cute the way NPH went back and sat in the audience with David, who is cuter than I remembered.

prairiegirl said...

What I saw of The Emmys last night, NPH was great. I'm sorry PFB didn't win anything, but that Grey something or other certainly sounded like it was some kind of show since it won everything. And it was great to see Ken Howard win an award after such a long time in the business and paying his dues.

He was a teacher in The White Shadow, one of my favorite shows long time ago and he also played a romantic interest for Diahnn Carroll on Dynasty. I thought they had great chemistry on there.

prairiegirl said...

Is Sunday or Monday the beginning of a week, a long debated question. Anyway, Monday always seems as good a time as any for a do over and fresh start, eh?

Anyway, I couldn't just jump in here without addressing what happened couple of weekends ago, that awful, ugly display of lack of control & whatnot. And all I can say is I let it get a grip on me; I got sucked right into it and I asked for it. So I have no one to blame but myself.

But I'm really not a bad person and although I displayed some real awful behavior last Sunday, it's not my intent at all to dishonor Special & Wicked or the blog. It's not my intent to bully anyone, particular all those who came before myself & are the staunch old stalwart regulars, and make anyone feel like they can't say something. So my heartfelt apologies for embarrassing anybody last Sunday and I will try not to get on here too much.

But it needs to be made clear that some of this is a deliberate intent to sabotage & break up the blog, to have us turn against each other, and they would love nothing better than to see OMG disappear.

Well, sorry. That ain't happening.

prairiegirl said...

And one last thing before I head out to work, I am greatly disappointed in you guys for not calling out the Avon Lady for that fluorescent colored Post It aimed at us for that little outing put up on JJ. You know the one, come on.

After pointing out our observations on what we saw in the yogurt pics and not only there, but from what we have seen in the past 2 years, we were "shown" that yeah, she has a special relationship with her daughter.

Don't kid yourself, Ice Maiden, it didn't go unnoticed. It wasn't subtle, it was as plain as a huge chigger bite in the summer. G'head, g'head, keep on. It's really rather amusing at this point.

destiny said...

It's funny, I almost mentioned the JJ Reese post, saw it when I was looking at Adam and his boyfriend. Didn't think about that angle though, PG, you're absolutely right. Ha ha, when nobody noticed I guess that means the PR plan failed. I did notice the post only got about two dozen comments, mostly along the lines of the same ones you see with Reeke.

Hands said...

PG, it looks like Reese is using the same deathgrip with Ava that she uses with Jake, and then Ava manages to break free. LOL.

Deathgripping Reese